


The Shepherd

by Flanker27_UK



Series: Strike's Shepherd [1]
Category: Cormoran Strike Series - Robert Galbraith
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-13
Updated: 2019-09-13
Packaged: 2020-10-17 22:04:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20628272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flanker27_UK/pseuds/Flanker27_UK
Summary: Strike & Anstis in Afghanistan





	The Shepherd

**Author's Note:**

> A mystery set just before the incident that cost Strike his leg and Anstis his face

The Landrover was spinning along the dirt road at 25 mph, following the Warrior they had been shadowing for the last two hours or so.

The two occupants were chatting, busily taking the piss out of each other as British soldiers have done since time immemorial,

“Show us your sprog’s picture again Anstis” said the Sergeant who was driving the vehicle

“Here you go”

_Bloody hell thought Strike, Rich has got his own bloody mini-me_

“What’s the milkman look like then?”

“Fuck off Pube-Head, he’s a little smasher”

Just then the Warrior slowed to a stop and Strike followed suit, one of the occupants jumped out of the rear doors, carefully scanned all around and ran to them, his L85 at the ready

“Sorry guys, got to get back to the Firebase, it’s turning into a cluster-fuck there, loads of insurgents hitting them with mortars and they need our firepower to sort them out. Should be no problem though, you’re only an hour or so from Bastion and things have been quiet here lately, they’re concentrating on trying to shut down our firebases. We’ve radioed ahead with your ETA. Good Luck” 

He ran back and climbed aboard slamming the armoured door behind him. The APC spun around on its tracks and roared off back in the direction they had just come from, the squaddie leaning from the cupola with his GPMG at the ready grinned at them and gave them the time honoured salute which has been a friendly wave since the battle of Agincourt

The two Redcaps returned the gesture with a time honoured, “Fuck you as well”

Strike pulled off in the Lanny but now there was no banter, both occupants were busy scanning all around, with Strike particularly scanning the road ahead for any disturbed earth, an IED would certainly ruin their day. 

After about 20 minutes they were both starting to relax slightly when Strike just caught a flash in his peripheral vision

“Hang on”

He hammered the brakes as hard as he could and steered the big off roader toward the drainage ditch that ran along the side of the road, his prompt action had ruined the attackers aim and the RPG missed its target slamming into the gravel about 10 feet from the front of the little truck, it was bad enough though, the front was peppered with shrapnel and gravel, the windscreen starred, but the bullet proofing held which is more than the radiator and front tyres did as both were shredded.

“Out, Out, this side, get to the ditch, the bastards will be on us in a flash”

Strike had served with the infantry before he had transferred to the MP and his experience was coming in useful now.

He snatched his L85 out of the brackets in front of him & reaching back grabbed his Bergan, hauling it out of the door and rolling into the ditch that he’d aimed for.

Anstis seem frozen in his seat, he was a TA officer, Met Police CID really, here for his first tour and had never seen action before

Strike looked back and shouted,

“Move or your dead”

Anstis startled and dived for the door just as the cough and rattle of an AK47 sprayed gravel and dust all around them.

“Rifle” screamed Strike

Anstis grabbed his L85 from the brackets and fell into the ditch alongside Strike

“We’ve got to get away from here, we’re sitting ducks, follow me and stay as low as you can”

Strike low crawled quickly along the ditch till he reached a point about 30 yards from the Landrover where there were some rocks improving the cover. Anstis joined him a few seconds later. Rounds were zipping around them as the Taliban tried to kill their targets

“Let’s get their heads down shall we”

Strike kneeled up and fired several 2 round bursts, then dropped down again

“Got 2 of the bastards, that’ll slow them down some”

“Fuck Cormoran, have you done this before?”

“Yeah, I may have had a bit of practice with the Serbs & Bosnians in that little unpleasantness a while back. Now how many magazines you got Rich? ”

“Just the 3 in my webbing and a spare clip for the 9mm”

Strike dragged his Bergan over and pulled 3 more magazines out of pack, passing them to Rich.

“So I’ve got 5 in my webbing and 5 in the Bergan, you best stash these in your webbing, we have to hold out here for at least 3 hours until we’re overdue and they send out someone to look for us”

“Why you carrying so much ammunition Corm”

“An old saying Rich, you can never have too much ammunition, except when you’re carrying it!”

Strike lay on his back and raised a mirror from his pack carefully looking around.

“Fuck, Fuck I counted at least 25 Ragheads so we’re well in the shit, it won’t take whoever’s in charge long to figure out we’re only two and try to flank us. Our best bet is to stay put & try and put them down as they come at us. OK So you need to scan that arc & I’ll cover the front he said sweeping his arm to indicate what needed covering” 

“This is going to be tight Rich, we don’t have much ammo, try to use 2 round bursts and make each shot count, if you use auto we’ll be out of bullets and you’ll be best using that 9mm on yourself!”

Two hours later and Strike glanced at his colleague, he’d lost count of the number of times the Taliban had come at them, scattered around the landscape were at least 15 bodies, by fluke they had managed to find the only reasonable cover in the area with clear fields of fire. But their luck looked like it was running out. Using his mirror Strike could see that at least 50 of the insurgents were gathering. The two soldier’s resistance had obviously annoyed their attackers and they had called up reserves to swat them once and for all.

“How’s the ammunition Rich?”

“I have about ¾ ready to go and 1 spare”

“I have 2, looks like this won’t be our Rourke’s Drift Rich, sorry mate, it’s been a pleasure knowing you and fighting by your side, for a weekend soldier you’ve done a fucking good job.”

“You too Corm, I was going to ask you to dinner to meet the Mrs, looks like you’ll get a pass out from that now” 

“Here they come again”

Rifles to their shoulders, the two comrades plugged away at the advancing enemy dropping them as they zig zagged towards their position, but it was not enough, they couldn’t stop them with the bullets they had left. Just when it looked like they would be overrun came the ripping roar of a GPMG and from their left the machine gun tore the Taliban attack apart. The enemy fell back in disarray, their saviour crawled along the ditch to join them.

A small sandy haired individual grinned up at them, he was dressed something like the tribesmen that were attacking them but with that complexion he couldn’t be

“Alright guys? Looks like you needed a bit of help”

“Where the fuck did you come from”

“Hereford”

“Ah” Strike nodded

Anstis looked totally confused

“I’m Cormoran Strike & this is Rich Anstis and you are?”

“Will Shepherd at your service”

“Rich, Will is, I suspect, one of the SAS that “aren’t” operating here, am I right?”

“Cock on mate, now I have some spare L85 mags in my bag that you might find useful”

Their new saviour got himself comfortable with his heavy machine gun peeking through the rock cover while Strike and Anstis distributed the new magazines

For the next hour and a half the 3 soldiers repulsed everything that the Taliban could throw at them, the Tribesmen had no answer to the lethal firepower that the team now wielded.

Then, just as it was starting to get dark they heard the lovely squeaking of tracks as 3 Warriors and a couple of Landrovers came over the hill towards them

Rescue!

Strike & Anstis turned to thank their comrade to find him gone

“Well that’s their trademark Rich, nobody sees them come or go” 

\------ 

The next morning after a debrief, a good night’s sleep, following a few tins in the NAAFI, Strike & Anstis were in the RMP Office waiting for their next assignment.

“Corm, Rich got your next job, unfortunately we have a KIA for you to investigate, could you go and find Major Fitzgerald Sabre Squadron A and he’ll brief you”

“Thanks Sir, we’ll be able to thank them properly for saving our asses then”

They walked through the teeming, dusty, base until they found the non-descript tent they were looking for.

Entering, they both came to attention before the desk where a Major was sitting.

“Ah are you the SIB guys”

“Yes Sir”

“Well we have had an incident at Firebase Delta and I’m afraid we have to do the formal investigation bit”

“OK Sir” Strike intoned

“But before we start on the details can I just express our thanks, we were caught in an ambush yesterday and if it hadn’t been for one of your guys pulling our nuts out of the fire we wouldn’t be here today. At the very least let us put some crates of beer in your mess for you”

“That’s good to hear, always glad to be of service, do you happen to know the trooper’s name who helped you out”

“Yes Sir, it was Will Shepherd and he was certainly our good Shepherd”

The Major went white

“What time was this?”

“Oh we got ambushed around 14:30 and I guess he turned up at around 16:00”

The Major looked at his fingernails for several seconds, finally looking up

“I don’t know how to tell you this gentlemen, but that’s impossible, at 16:00 yesterday Corporal Shepherd was killed in a Taliban ambush while out supporting the garrison at Firebase Delta. It’s his death I’m requesting you investigate”

Strike and Anstis both exchanged glances

“Excuse me sir but is, was, Will quite short and wiry with Sandy hair and freckles”

The Major looked at them, ashen, and nodded

“You’ve just described him to a Tea, there is no one else in the Squadron who looks anything like that”


End file.
